Chennai, April 6
Under attack from AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Karunanidhi today refuted her charge that he had surrendered Tamils' rights by temporarily putting off the Hogenakkal project. He said it was done to discuss the issue with a government in Karnataka after Assembly poll there and to avoid violence in the two states.

Responding to Jayalalithaa's allegation that he had "surrendered Tamils' rights" on the project, Karunanidhi said in a statement that "I never said the project had been shelved".

"I only said we would discuss the issue with an elected government and since there is no government right now in that state, I had said that we shall put off the scheme for a month," he said.

On Jayalalithaa's charge that he made the announcement to put off the project without discussing it in the state Assembly or with political parties, Karunanidhi said he did so as there was no time and delay could have led to escalation in violence.

Gowda terms decision as
conspiracy

Bangalore: Tamil Nadu's decision to put the Hogenakkal project on hold was a "conspiracy" by the Congress and its major UPA ally, the DMK, to cheat people of Karnataka, former Prime Minister H.D. Devegowda said here today.

"A tacit understanding has been reached by the Congress in Karnataka and the DMK in Tamil Nadu not to proceed with the project till elections in the state are over, realising the potential damage the project could have on Congress party's prospects in the poll," Gowda said here.
— PTI